Testing device



Epl L, h #Sm m ing W .QQ m

June 14, 1927.

A. s. BERTELS TESTING DEVICE Filed July 9, 1923 /fWe/f/af. hm/d5. 5er/ws. by y Affy.

the subscribers Patented June 14, `1927.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT i oFFlcE..

.ARNOLD s. BERTELS, oF TENAFLY, NEW JERSEYQASSIGNOR To wns'rnnii ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPQRATED,` OF NEW YORK, N. Y'., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

l TESTING DEVICE.

Application filed Jul'y 9, 1923. Serial No. 650,299.

This invention relatesto telephone eX- change systems, and more particularly toan :r1-rangement tor testing the accuracy with which subscribers message registers function.

ln exchange systems in which allsuecess- Atnl calls are charged against calling subscribers by message `registers individual to lines, it is desirable to test the message registers from time to time to determine it they tunction accurately. Such inlorn'iation is not only of interest to the telephone companytor showing if all success'tul calls are being counted so that the telephone company will be able to obtain full reirubin-sement"tor all service renderedto subscribers, but alsoserves to afford the teleiil'ione company basis for answering complaints entered by subscribers thatthey are `lgieing charger-i for morecalls than they have actually made. i .ln order that this information may be rendity and conveniently obtained, a portable test box is provided ,in the central oiiice and equipped with apparatus and circuits for making all desired tests of subscribers message registers. This test box is providedl with suitable liaoks, which may be connected by patching cords to trame jacks associated `with si|hscribers7 lines.

lt is therefore thc object ot' thepresent inventionto provide ai test box of the character above set `tort-h for allowing the message registers ot subsoriberslines to be readily and accurately tested.

Referring to the drawing, theftest box torn'iiugthe basis ot this invention is dis` closed at the right of the dot and dash line. This test box maybe associated witheither a'. line, such as A, terminating in the bank ot a line finder as shown in the lower portion ot the drawing; or with aline, such as B, ter-V minating in a line switch. The' invent-ion is also equally adaptable to lines terminating ,in manual oiiices. v

It the test box is used in association with lines ot the line switch type only a portion'of the equipment of the test box is employed, as

will later appear, and it desired, two separate test boxes may be used, one having only the equipment shown in the upper right corner ot the drawing for use with lines of the line switch type, and another having all of the equipment disclosed at the right of the terminals in the banks of line finder switches having access thereto. The line is equipped inthe well-known manner with the usual line relay 101 and cut-oil' relay 102 for controlling the starting of thev line finder 100, and with a messager-register The message register in the usual establislnnent of connec-v tions is operated `following the restera# tion` of `the subscriber-s Y receiver to the swtchh'ook by current of metering strength transmitted thereto over the lowermostbrush of switch 100, the armature and back contact of line relay 101,' terminals of frame IDF,

Vthence through the winding of the register magnet to ground at the outer left armature and' front contact ot cut-off relay 102.

For convenience of illus-I Y y f When it is desiredto make tests of the i n'iessage register 132 ot the subscribers line A, the shoe 105 terminating in cords 106, 107

and 108,-109 is attached to the lineterminals at theinterrnediate distributing frame IDF.

VThese cords, which terminatevin the plugs 110 and 111, respectively, are then connected, to jacks 112 and 113, respectively, of the test box. A reading is then taken of the message'register 132 preliminary to the test thereof in order thatthe subscriber may not bel charged for the additional registration incident to thetest ot the message register and also for the purpose of obtaining-a read.

ing as a starting basis for the tests to be conducted. After the test box has been connected to theline A, as above described,the

test man throws the three` position key 118 from the left position,in whichthevsprings 133 are normally out of contact with their4 i respective contacts, tothe middle position, in which these springs close with their contacts, and thence to the right position, in which the springs 134 make with their alternate contacts. As soon as the springs 133 make with contact. lt theline whose message register is, y being tested .is at the tnnebusy because of a call initiated thereby or because ot a conneet-ion extended thereto, relay 119 becomes locked over a circuit extending through its lett winding, left armature and front contact, the upper spring 183 and its contact, conductor 1:15, tip contacts ol jack 113 and plug 11d, conductor 109 to battery over the next tothe lowermost brush of switch 100.

Relay 1.19 is maintained energized over its holding. circuit after hey 11S is moved to its right Vposition and at its right armature and front Contact closes a Acircuit `tor Athe busy lamp 120 extending over an obvious circuit to groundr at the lower spring 134tand its alternate contact.

The test man, noting the illumination ot busy lamp 120, vis apprised ot the tact that the line is busy and that he should not proreed with the test ot the message register thereof. He lmay thereupon disconnect the test box from the line A and connect it with another line, or he may wait until the busy line becomesidle. It the yline is idle when connection is made therewith or becomes idle a'lter connection therewith, relay 1.10, however, does not locl; as previously described or unlocks when the linebecomes idle. lilith. relay 119 deenergizeda circuit is extended from lbattery, through the Awinding of relay 121 and .resistance element 135 in parallel, through the let't armature and baci;v contact of )relay 119, vthe upper leiitvspring 133 and its contact, conductor 1115, tip contacts ot jack 113 and plug 111, conductor 109, throughsthe winding ot' cut-o1l relay 102 to ground. Relays 102 and 121 energize in this circuit, and ybattery potential is connected ina circuitparallel with the winding of cutoill' relay 102 over terminalsio'lithe intermediate distributing drame to the multiples of test :terminal -13G for marking the sub` scriberfs line busy lto any connector switch which may vattempt to malte connection therewith. The cut-oli relay 102 ot' the subscribers line upon venergizing disconnects the winding of line relay 101 in the usual mannerand-connects ground over its outer lett armature to one terminal et the inessage register magnet `132 preparatory to operatingit. Relay 121 upon energizing closes a circuit forA lamp 122wl1ich upon illuminating indicates tothe test vman the idle .condition of the subscribers line.

Atthe back contact of the rightarmature of relay 119 a circuit is also closed at this timel'rom ground, through the lower spring ot key 131 and its alternate contact. the Iright armature and-back Contact of relay 1'19 'to battery through the winding of cutoff relay 1.23 of the test box. Relay 123 connects the winding et relay 124 `to the sub- "beis line loop so that if at any time test the subscriber initiates a Vlie test man will be signaled so that testm'ay it desired be discontinued dury the time that the subscriber is callin". .ic Acircuit over which the relay l2-1 is enc giZed it the subsriber initiates a call may be traced `fiom battery, through the winding el relay 121A, il e right armature and contact et lrelay tl, ronductorlit, sleeves ot jack 112 and plug 110, conductor 100, terminals et distrilniting trames lDF and MDF, line cenductor 102;), thence over the subscribes line loop, ieturning over conductor 1011, terminals oi the distributing trames, conductor tips et plug 1.10 and jack'112, condutior '11T to ground `at the `left armature a l Contact of relay 123. Relay 1241, ener oi'rei.' this circuit, closes anv obvious ciictk t Yi'or the calling lamp 125. The t man upon noting the calling signal 125 may disconnect the test box from the subscribers line and connect it with another 'line orinay wait until the call terminated, restoring the hay 1% to its le't't position tor removing the 'b j potential-troni the sleeve contlu or ot the subscribers line.

i suniing that the line is idle and that dining theiprogress oit the tests of the mes- 'ister thereo'l the subscriber does `not in]L atearall, the test man 'first throws the operario key 100 and adjusts the slider connected with hey 130 on the rheostat 12'( until the milli-ammeter 126 records the eur rent value 'which should be sutlicient to opcrate` the message register 132. The circuit Yover which ci' Lont Hows through the winding of? 'the mesi-age register magnet 1232 may be traced trein battery.through the contact m0, rheostat 12T, milli-ammeter 126, conductor "1l-1, sleeves ot jack 113 and plug 111, conductor 108, winding ot `magnet 132 to ground at the lett armature and contact ot' relay 102. This value of current is approximately 33 amperes. Following this the key 130 is restored andis then operated `the necessary `number et times to maire` the test, 4itbeing noted lupon each operation ot the hey Ait the message register operates. A iailure fto operate upon each closure of ikey 130 would indicate fan unstandard Vcondition olf the message Aregister under test.

Following the completion olf the test Lthe non-operate7 hey 120 depressed and the slider connectedfthereto is adjusted on -rheostat 127 until the milli-ammeter 126 records a omtrent value which the maximum which may be transmitted through the windingof the message register and not cause its operation. This current value is approximately .2T ampere. The key 129 is then restored and operated the necessary number of times llt veo

to make the test. If upon any operation of key 129 the messageregister 132 operates, an unstandard condition of themessage registcr is denoted. 1

In order that the sensitivity of themessage register magnet may be tested, it is in'- termittently operated and released at` al fixed. rate through the operation of the in-v terrupter key 131. This interrupter key has been disclosed diagrammatieally ascomprising a key and a. rotary interrupter. In practice this key may be of` the type disclosed in the patent to J. A. Totten No. 1,288,358, issued December 17, 1918. This key comprises a rotary handle, which when de pressed winds up and releases a spring motor.` The spring motor when released drives an interrupter wheel through a chain `of gears, which makes and breaks the inter rupter contacts at the rate of one hundred times during a period of fifty seconds. making this lest the test man first depresses the key` '130 and adjusts the slider connected with this key on the rheostat 127 until the milli-amn'ieter 126 records the test current value of approximately .344 ampere. The key 130 is then released and the handle of the interrupter depressed and released. Prior to the depression of the handle of the interrupter key a reading is taken of the message register' and immediately following the test a second reading is taken. VIf the second` reading is'one hundred points higher than the first reading, it denotes that the message register is functioning properly.

Following the completion of the above noted test the key 118 is restored to its left position andthe `test box is disconnected` from the line A and Connected with another line, the message register of which is to be tested.

If a test of a message register of a line such as line B of the line switch type is to be conducted, the jack 159 of the test box is connected'by patching cord160 to the test jack 15G of the line switch circuit of the .line B. The cut-oil' relay 152 of the subscribers line is then lockedV operated with a t-ool designed for that purpose and the line switch is moved either electrically yor byA hand one step forward from its normal position. The operate, nonoperate and interrupter keys 130, 129 and 131 are then operated in the manner previously described for conducting the same tests of the message register magnet 153. The circuit of ma et 153, for these tests may be traced from liteittery, through contacts of the test keys of the test box, rheostat 127, milliammeter 126.

sleeve of jack 159, sleeve of plug 158, sleeve strand of cord 160, sleeves of plug 157 and jack 156, the second terminal and brush 154 in cont-act therewith of line switch 150, terminals of distributing frame IDF, winding o fL message register magnet 153, the outer left armature and front contact of cut-of relay 152 to ground through the right wind-y ing of the cutoff relay. y i

In addition to` the tests previously described a holding testis conducted through `the operation of the hold key 128. kInconducting this test the key 128 `is Vfirst depressed and the slider associated.therewith adjusted. ou (he rheostat 127-until the niill-ammeter 126 records the value of eur-- rent which will just holdv the message regisler magnet operated after it has first been energized byoperating current. This cur'r rent value is approximately .057 ampere. The key 128 is then released and the operate key 18() depressed. After the operate key 130,has been depressed and the message register magnet 153 energized, the key 128 is depressed while key- 180 is maintained depressed and is then held while key 130 is released. If the message registc.' magnet lis still maintained energized a proper operation thereof is indicated. l

lVhile the invention has been disclosed and described in connection with lines ter, minating in a full automatic exchange, it is obvious that message registers of lines terminating in a sen'ii-1necl1anical office or in a manual office may be tested in substantially the same manner, it only heilig required Vthat the means for associatingthe test box with lines of the latter character be slightly moditied.

What isV claimed is:

l. In a telephone system, a subscribers line, a call charging device therefor, a test box, means for connecting said test be); to said line, a source of current, and meansin said test box for applying current of different prescribedstrengths from said source to said device for determining if said device is in standard operating' condition. i i

2. In a telephone system, a subscribers line, a call charging device therefor, a test box, means for connecting said test box to said line, and a source of current, said llest box comprising a rheostat and a plurality of keys for applying current 'of different prescribed strengths from said source tosaid device for determining if said device is in standard operating condition.

3. In ,a telephone system, a subscribers line, a call charging device therefor, a test box, means foi-connecting said test box to said line, and a source of current, said test box comprising means for applying current of different prescribed strengths from said source to said call charging device for determining if said device is in standard operative condition, and a rheostat and current measuring means for determining the prescribed current strengths.

4. In a telephone system, 'a subscribers line, a call charging device therefor, a test box, means for connecting said test box to said line, and a source of current, said test box comprising a ley for applying current of operating strength to lsaid device, a hey for applying current of non-operating strength, a key for intermittently applying current oit 4operating strength whereby 1t.

may be determined ii: said device is in standard operating condition, and a rhe t and current n'ieasuring means tor deteriii'iining the prescribed current strengths.

In a telephone system, a subseribers line, a call charging device therefor, a test box, means for connecting said test box to said line, and a source of current, said test box comprising line testing means 'ior determining the idle or busy condition of said line, and means, upon the determination of said idle condition, for applying current of different prescribe-dstrengths from said source to said device for determining iiz said device is in standard operating condition.

6. In a telephone system, a subscribe s line, a call charging device Vthereifoma vtest box, means for connecting said test box to said line, and a source oi current, said test box comprising a line testing relay, sigH nals controlled by said relay tor indicating the busy or idle conditions ot said line, and means, upon the determination of said idle condition, ior applying current oi dii'i'erent prescribed strengths from said source to said device for determining it said device is in standard operating condition. l

'7. In a telephone system, a subscribers line, a call charging device thereiiorl a test box, means for connecting said test box to said line, and a source of current, said test box comprising a line testing relay, a line relay, means controlled by said testing relay if said line is idle ior connecting said line relay to said line, a signal controlled by said line relay for indicating if said subscribeil initiates a call While said test box is connected to said line, and means for applying current of different prescribed strengths Jfrom said source to said device for determining if said device is in standard operating condition.

8. In a testing system for testing call charging devices connected to subscribers lines, a test box, means for connecting said testbox to one ot said subscribers lines, means to variably testr thecall charging device associated with said line, means tor determining whether said line is idle or busy, and means to prevent the application ot' said variable tests upon the call charging device associated with a busy line.

9. In a testing system for testing call charging devices connected to subscribers lines, a test box, means for connecting said test box to one ot said subscribers lines, means to variably test the call charging device associated With said line, means to indicate that said test box has been connected 'to a busy line, and means to prevent the application of said variable tests upon the call charging device associated with a busy line. i

l0. In a telephone system,- a subscriber-s line terminating in automatic switching apparatus, call. charging device therefor7 a test box, means 'for connecting said test box to said line, and a source of current, said test box comprising a rheostat and a plurality of keys for applying current of dit ferent prescribed strengths from said source to said device for determining if said device is in standard operating condition.

1li. In a telephone system, a subscribers line extending through a distributing trame and te'rininating in automatic switching `apparatus, a call charging device therefor, a test box, a test clip for connecting said test box to said line and switching apparatus at said distributing iframe, and Vavsource of current,said test box comprising a rheostat and a plurality of'keys for applying current of diii'erent prescribed strengths from said source to said device for determining if said device is in standard operating condition.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name `this 29th day of J une A. D., 1923.

V ARNOLD S. BERTELS. 

